Business and Heartbreak

By Marilyn Tam

“Violence is what happens when we don’t know what to do with our heartbreak… learn how to allow your heart to break open to embrace the lessons with compassion, not broken into sharp shards that hurt others as well as yourself”

-                     Parker J Palmer, author, educator, and founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal. 

Dr. Palmer directed the above quotation at leadership and democracy, but I think it applies to how you should manage your business and life too. Violence in business and life thankfully does not usually degenerate into physical force, but the above concept is instructive in how we deal with all our challenges. 

When we have a life or business challenge, do we narrow our focus to how we can get out of the immediate circumstance, or do we expand our vision and strategy to learn how we can improve the results for this and other situations?

With a challenge is looming in front of us, it is easy to fall back into a reflexive mode. We want to make the problem go away immediately, but a decision made in haste or from anger is less than ideal. The flight or fight instinct is activated and to respond aggressively or retreat without full consideration of the options, often prove to be worse than the initial situation. 

Save Our Chinatown Committee Celebrates Court Victory 

Riverside, California

March 28, 2012

News Release
Save Our Chinatown Committee

After nearly 3 ½ years of legal proceedings, the 4th Appellate District court has invalidated the approval of an office building project that threatened to destroy Riverside’s historic Chinatown.  “We look forward to providing the City guidance during this process,” says Save Our Chinatown Committee (SOCC) Chair, M. Rosalind Sagara. “Together, we can find a way to protect the archaeological remains of Riverside’s historic Chinatown and we believe the best way of doing this is by developing a historic park at the site.” 

The ruling, issued on March 21st, centered on the environmental impact report (EIR) and whether or not it complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the state regulations protecting historic sites threatened with demolition. 

APAforProgress.com News Release

 from Curtis Chin, APA for Progress Board President 

On Saturday June 23, 2012 Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, a national network of progressive Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and allies (www.apaforprogress.org) is organizing a live online one hour nationwide townhall to discuss hate crimes and bullying. 

Leading APIA civil rights leaders will be participating in the national online Townhall including Congressmember Judy Chu, OCA Executive Director Tom Hayashi and more. 

Asian Pacific Americans for Progress is looking for cities to help host viewing parties to be a springboard for groups to also talk about local issues after the one-hour presentation is done. 

Vincent Chin 30: Standing Up Then and Now

A nationwide Google Hangout* townhall with leading civil rights leaders from around the country 

Saturday, June 23, 2012
2 pm EST/11 am PST/8 am HST

In 1982, Vincent Chin was the victim of a hate crime murder in Detroit. Thirty years later, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders continue to face discrimination and bullying. In fact, more than half of Asian Americans report being bullied in the high school class room, the highest of any racial group. In light of recent tragedies like the suicide of Pvt. Danny Chen and the continuing effects of 9/11, what can Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do to stand up against racism and discrimination?

Please join

Update May 28, 2012

May 24, 2012 would have been Private Danny Chen's 20th birthday. 

After weeks of hazing, physical and mental abuse and racial taunting as documented in his personal diary, U.S. Army Private Danny Chen was found dead of an apparent suicide on October 3, 2011 in Afghanistan. 

More than 9,000 cards honoring bullying victim Danny Chen have been collected and are on their way to Washington D.C. by supporters of anti-bullying legislation of H.R. 5638, the "Service Member Anti-Hazing Act." The bill has passed the House on Friday, May 25, and now waits for Senate approval. 

Update April 11, 2012

Army Courts-Martial in Connection with U.S. Private Danny Chen Moved to US

The U.S. military announced today that the trials of the eight U.S. soldiers implicated in the death of 19 year old U.S. Army Private Danny Chen have been moved to U.S. soil. The trials will be held at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, if senior military officials decide courts-martial are warranted. Fort Bragg's commanders have accepted jurisdiction in the case.

A miliary investigator has recommended courts-martial for all of the soldiers.

"We are relieved and pleased," said Elizabeth R. OuYang, president of the New York chapter of civil rights group Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), which has been lobbying the military for a change in jurisdiction to the United States, rather than in Afghanistan.  

Another Asian Pacific Heritage MonthMay has come and almost gone as quietly as it has arrived. It has been mostly unnoticed by mainstream media, and yet as public servants, this May feels different, for there is a growing political energy, excitement and electricity, for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) across the country.

APIA POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT GROWING NATIONALLY

by Congressman Michael M. Honda